Every Day with IBD is Different

1-7 December was Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week across the globe, and the guys at Crohn’s & Colitis UK encouraged everyone to share their story of what it is really like to live with inflammatory bowel disease every day, both good and bad days. They also asked people to donate to the charity by texting DAYS22 £3 (or any amount) to 70070, to help raise funds for support, education and research into trying to find a cure for IBD.

They asked me to share my experience of being in remission as an example of having better days with IBD, so I did a blog post for them comparing life in 2009 (when my Crohn’s disease was flaring up), versus life in 2015 (being in remission).

Here’s a snippet:

Thaila’s IBD Diary – DAY 1

2009

I’ve got two sore arms from this month’s blood test because the GP had trouble finding the veins in EITHER arm. Apparently the fact that I have ‘fine veins’, alongside the fact that I’ve been extremely dehydrated recently, makes them turn invisible… or something.

2015

Just uploaded my latest Ostomonday video. It’s funny, even after nearly six years of having ostomy bags, I’m always learning something new from other people with stomas. It’s awesome. Got a blood test on Wednesday; can’t believe it’s been three months since the last one already. Well, as they say: time flies when you’re having fun!

Aside from sharing my own story, the amount of activity on social media as well as people’s own blog posts is remarkable. There have been so many inspiring stories and it’s great to see the support amongst the IBD community. As usual, the discussions on the Crohn’s & Colitis UK Facebook Page were full of love and support for one another battling these forms of inflammatory bowel disease, and the to see people who felt proud rather than ashamed of their ‘battle scars’ was truly moving.

Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week may be over, but more than 300,000 people in the UK alone continue to suffer with inflammatory bowel disease every single day.

Megan aka the Front Butt YouTuber tagged me! QUESTIONS: What form of IBD do you have? Why is IBD advocacy important? Describe a socially awkward moment with IBD. What is a common stigma you run Read more…